hi, i am womdering what is the criteria for becoming a resident in thailand? i will have a permanent residential address, with my name on the agreement. i will be able to show i have money in the bank ( not sure if this is a requirement ). how many days of the year do i have to be thailand? this is so i can legally buy a motor vehicle and obtain a thai driving license. also where do i apply for residency.

thanks

Moved to Thai visas, residency and work permits.

Becoming resident is a long and complex process (see the pinned thread at the top of the forum).

However it's not needed to buy a car or obtain a driving licence, all you need is a non-immigrant visa of any class (plus assorted other bits of paper) look in the motoring forum for more details.

If you are in Thailand the best people to ask is Immigration. Others will charge you for what you can get free.

You have to be able to show tax slips for a minimum period of three consecutive years before your application will be accepted. There are a number of other hurdles but unless you have worked here and paid tax you have no chance of getting a PR status.

If you are in Thailand on a non-immigrant visa, you can buy a car or motercycle. You will need a letter of residency (or work permit), which is something different than having permanent residency.

You can get a letter of residency from immirgaiton, but in all likelyhood must be on an extension of stay to get one. Alternatively you can contact your embassy for a letter of residency.

As Crossy said, you will find more details about buying in the motering forum.